Becard

Becard — The becard is any bird of the genus Pachyramphus or Platypsaris in the COTINGA family, Cotingidae; 16 species are represented by numerous subspecies in tropical and subtropical America. The becards are characterized by their large heads with slight crest.

The smaller members of this genus have graduated tails and most members are sexually dimorphic, although the Cinnamon Becard and the Chestnut-crowned Becard have similar plumages for the males and females. Juvenile becards resemble the adult females in plumage and, as far as known, obtain their adult plumage after about a year.

The bills of the becards are grey, and many (but not all) have a black culmen or upper mandible. Their legs are dark gray. They are primarily found in Central and South America, but the Rose-throated Becard occurs as far north as southern USA and, as suggested by its common name, the Jamaican Becard is restricted to Jamaica.

Depending on the species, they are found in wooded habitats ranging from open woodland to the dense canopy of rainforests. The nest of a becard is a bulky globular mass of dead leaves, mosses, and fibers with the entrance near the bottom of the nest. Nests are typically wedged or slung from the outer branches of trees at the mid or upper levels.